ABSTRACT
<b>Purpose</b>: Doctors were reluctant to disclose a cancer diagnosis to patients in the 1980' s. Clinical pharmacists strive to reduce adverse events caused by chemotherapy and manage pain control and symptoms. We tracked changes in the quality and quantity of information on cancer patients provided by medical staff over 17 years in Kanazawa University Hospital. <b>Methods</b>: We questioned doctors and nurses about the same items in 1988, 1996 and 2005 and compared their replies. <b>Results</b>: Most doctors working on a gastroenterology ward did not reveal cancer diagnoses to patients in 1988 even for early stage cancer, but 70% of doctors did reveal early stage cancer diagnoses in 1996. In contrast, almost full disclosure was achieved irrespective of the stage of cancer progression in 2005. However, medical staff are now confronted with new issues including how long chemotherapy should be continued and planning strategy for the relief of pain and symptoms associated with cancer progression. <b>Conclusion</b>: Our 17-year investigation indicates that doctors provide a more detailed diagnosis in response to increased medical knowledge among patients, and pharmacists need to actively offer up their own opinions about continuation of chemotherapy or palliative care for managing pain and symptoms.